Enjoying the Good Gift of Sports

From my most recent article at WorldMag.com:

I write about sports. A lot. To write about any subject regularly demands a fair amount of thought. I’ve been asked more than once whether it’s worth it to put so much thought into games. Am I investing energy and intellect in something trite? To many people sports is pure entertainment, a distraction. To others it’s a vacuous pastime, empty of meaning, at best an amoral vice of sorts. One could say the same thing about movies, television, or music—really any entertainment. So why is it worth it to invest my mind and time in sports?

Sports are given to us by God for enjoyment and to show us aspects of Himself, of human nature, of creation, of interaction and competition. Are they fun? No question. Are they a wonderful way to relax and take our minds off of heavier matters? Absolutely. But they are more than mere distraction, and it isalways good to engage our minds.

We should always be asking questions. What is being reflected in this medium? Is there a message being expressed? What is it? Why is this valuable? If we stop asking such questions we open ourselves up to being influenced unwittingly. Our minds and hearts are always absorbing—always. Unless we maintain some level of awareness how do we know what we are soaking up?

But you might say, “Sports are supposed to be fun. All that analysis takes all the fun out of it.” Only if you overdo it . . .